Pipe-making machine



May 24, 1927. I 1,629,922

G. c. MARTIN PIPE MAKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 11. 1926 INVENTOR 0 34 630% la] Zn,

7 7 79M ATTORNEY Patented Ma 24 1927 enonen G..MARTIN, or nos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

r PIPE-MAKING MACHINE Application filed October 11, 1925. Serial No. 140,813.

This invention relates to pipe-making machines, and the invention is primarily adapted to overcome. certain defects now prevalent in finished pipe which is made by machine. I have particular reference to concrete pipe. The customary way to formconcrete pipe is to provide suitable molds and the neat material is progressively forced therebetween. This method of forming pipe is fully disclosed in my Patent-No. 1,596,203, dated August '17, 1926, for pipemaking machines. The usual pipe-making machine of the type shown in mysaid patent includes an outer mold member'and an inner mold member provided with packer blades. The concrete is fed downwardly within the outer mold member to where it is acted .upon by the packer blades and the inner mold member, so that an annular pipe is formed. The packer blades serve to tightly pack the various elements of. the concrete so that the pipe is quite strong. However, as the concrete ispoured within the mold, rotation of the inner mold plus rotation ofth'e packer blades has a tendency to rotate the concrete being poured within the mold, all to the end that the packer blades do not efficiently-act upon the same. The inventor attributes the general fractures that appear in the finished concrete pipe to this one fault, namely, the improper packing of the concrete. and quite obviously the concrete cannot be properly packed if the packer bladesgare not functioning properly.

The present invention is adapted to overcome the defect above mentioned and to substantially prevent rotation; of the-concrete adjacent and above the packer blades, to the end that the packer. blades will at all* times act upon the concrete which is not in rotary movement. The results have indicated that the finished pipe is practically without'defeet and that fractures therein are not likely to result because the pipe is uniformly packed. The general advantages of the invention are as above stated, and further include simplicity of structure and general superiority in results obtained. 1 WVith' the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and'useful provision, formation, construction,- association'and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all .as shown in one 5Q embodiment of the invention, described generally and more particularly pointed out in claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section showing the improved pipe-making machine; I r

Figure 2 is a plan view partly in section .of certain elements entering into the invention' v v Figure 3 is a perspective view of an element of the invention;

Figure 4; is a modified ment shown in Fig. 3; Figure .5fis a sectional view of certain means for guiding the elements shown in Figures 3 and 4; 7 Figure 6fis a modified form of the means shown in Figure 5 and Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail view on an enlarged scale showing a'method of attachment .of the, element shown in Figure 4 to other: elements of the invention. 7

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring: with particularity -to the drawing, I designate the entire pipe-making machine by A, andof which a is an outer'mold, b a smoother head and inner mold, a a packer head, d means for rotating the smoother head and packer head; 0 generally indicates means for" raising the smoother head and packer head as the. pipe is formed, and f indicates means controlling differential rotation of any material used in making the pipe and acted upon by the smoother. head and packing blades. The said means 7 likewise acts as a damping device. All the elements just enumerated maybe utilized in practicing one embodiment-ofthe invention. However, thisinvention. is moreprimarily directed to the means i Partlcularizing, the general the pipe-making machine is not important, and a'pipe-making machine like the showing of Figure 1 is completely described and detailed in the patent afore-mentioned. Brief- 1y stated, the present pipe-making'machine includes uprights or pedestal members 1 upon which is, mounted a platform 2. This platform is adapted to carry certain elements of the means dsuch as a motor 3, driving a Wheel, lthroughthe medium of a continuous belt 5- passed over the said wheel 4, and the pulley of the motor. The shaft form of the eiestructure of said gear.

of the wheel 4 carries a bevel gear 6 which meshes with a second bevel gear 7 carried on a shaft 8. The shaft 8 in turn carries the means 6 and o, and a portion of said shaft may be keyed .or squared so that the same may readily pass or slide through the gear 7 and still permit rotation of the shaft by The said shaft 8 is received within a housing 9, and secured to a cross head 10. This cross head is provided with transversely bored ends 11 through the bores of which are passed guide rods 12. These guide rods 12 are suitably carried by the uprights through the medium of lugs13. Likewise secured to the framing is the means 6 which constitutes two substantially parallel and spaced-apart cylinder members 14 within which are pistons secured to piston arms 15, which piston arms in turn are secured to the cross head at 16. Various piping elements 17 communicate with the cylinders 14 and with a source of fluid under pressure. The direction of flow of said fluid is controlled by a valve 18 and whereby the fluid may be directed on either side of the pistons within the said cylinders 14 to raise or lower the said piston arms. andin'turn raise and lower the cross head 10. As the cross headis raised the smoother head and packer head are likewise raised. One of the transverse frame members 19 between'the uprights is provided with cams 20 and 21. In the showing of Figure 1 the means f of which there are two, is secured to the cross yoke 10. Describing the means f said means includes an arm 22 having two substantially parallel and spaced apart portions 23 and 24 inter-connected by a piece 25 with the extremity of the portion 24 of said arm carrying afoot 26. The extremity of the part 23 of said arm is hingedly united to the cross yoke as shown for each respective arm at 27. The said foot 26 is transversely carried by the part 24 of the arm, and the same is in the form of a sector of ring which is triangular in cross section, with the hypotenuse portion forming the upper surface thereof, as shown at 23. Likewise the part 24 varies as to width as indicated at 29 and 30. The part 24 at the portion 29 carries a cross arm 31 provided with two spaced studs 32 and 33.

' The smoother head may include a cylinder, the periphery of which is adapted to smooth the inside of the formed pipe during its formation, while directly above the said smoother head is the packer head comprising a plurality of propellers or blades 34, which blades are adapted to contact with the concrete poured within the outer mold and which blades when rapidly rotated impel the concrete outwardly with great pressure so that the concrete will fill the space between the smoother head and the outer mold uniformly. However, as has been previously pointed out, rotation of the smoother head and packer head tend to produce a like rotation of concrete being poured in determined amounts within the outer mold, with the result that the propeller blades of the packer head do not obtain a bite upon the concrete to properly pack the same between the two molds. For instance, the concrete is poured within the outer mold, and this concrete will strike the packer head and as it possibly has not acquiredaany rotation, it will be forced outwardly and closely compacted. However, other concrete which would be on top of the concrete being directly acted upon would acquire a rotation with the result that Zones of cleavage ortwist appear in the finished pipe. The means f of the form shown in Fig. 3, as before stated, is hinged tothe cross head, and the arm 22 of each of said means depends from said cross head with the feet 26'slightly above the packer head and practically above the annular space included between the smoother head, packer head and the outer mold. In the showing of Fig. 1 the smoother head and packer head are at the lowest position within the outer mold a, and it will be noted that this outer mold is held upon a flanged ring carried by a rotary table 51, the rotary table being supported by wheels 52, and the said rotary table is looked'in determined positions by means 53, This flange 50 is adapted to support and carry a forming ring 54 and the said forming ring is received within the outer mold a. This forming ring is adapted to form flanges at one end of the pipe. The opposite end portion of the outer mold ct has the top ring 55 secured by a member 56 which in turn is secured to a guide ring 57. This guide ring is fastened to the uprights and acts to steady the mold at.

That form of the means f shown in Fig. 3 has the foot conforming substantially to the curvature of the outer mold and so that the periphery of said foot lies closely adjacent the inner surface of said mold, as indicated in Figure 2. A certain amount of play that would normally exist between the two arms 22 of the said means f as well as any tendency of the said arms to springtoward each other, are overcome by the positioning means ,it avliicl1 includes coil compression springs 60 and 61, held in position between the cross arms 31 by the lugs 32 and carried thereby. Likewise carriedby the frame are guides designated generally as j which may comprise two angle iron members be tween which are in part received the arms 22. i

It is apparent that when the device is in operation the turning efiortof the concrete or other material is quite considerable, and r such turning effort by acting upon the said arms of the means 7 would tend to twist the same, and the guides j are for the purpose of preventing this twist. Likewise the portion 23 of the said arms 22 in each i-nstance is providedwith a pin 62, which pin isadapted to contact with the cam portion '63 of the cam members 20 and 21. Considering the operation of the device as just described and with the parts in the position as indicated in l, rotation of the element 4 will producerotation of the shaft 8 to rotate the inner moldand smoother head 6 and its associated packer head 0. In the present instance the outer mold (Z does not rotate. As the concrete or other pipe-making material is poured within the outer mold said concrete will strike the blades of. the packer head and the packer head blades will force the concrete between the smoother head and the outer mold. Excess of said pipe-forming material will-be prevented from rotating above the said packer head andfrom twisting; or rotating with relation to the pipe making material which has already been forced between. the inner mold and the outer mold, by the means The inclined face 28 will throw or direct any of said pipe-making material received thereon back upon the blades of the packer head, and the side of greatest width, 30, will .act in conjunction with the foot 26 to damp out any rotation of the concrete or other pipe-making material above the said packer head.

Obviously any rotation above the packer head of the pipe-1naking material would be in certain ratio to the rotation of the packer head, and for this reason the means 7 may be designated as means for controlling differential rotation of the pipe-making material relative to the packer head. However, the means f is primarily a damper. As the concrete or other material is fed within the outer mold the shaft 8 is elevated to raise the means I) and (7 and as the said shaft is directly associated with the cross head, movement of this cross head will likewise raise the means 7. hen the said means f reaches a determined position the pins 62 by contact ing with the cam edges of the cams 20 and 21 will move the arms inwardly against compression of the spring 60 so that that portion between the difierent widths of the arm portions 24 may avoid the top ring 55.-

The form of the means f shown in Figure 4 is similar to the form shown in Fig. 3'

with the exception that the portion of the arm 22 is of the same width throughout its length and the said portion 70 is formed with an inwardly directed foot or toe 71 in place of the transversely mounted foot 26. Other parts may remain substantially the same and the said device may be mounted in a similar manner. However, the form shown in Fig. 4 due to the fact that the arm 70 is the same width throughout its length may have its arm portion 23 fixedly joined with the cross head as indicated in Fig. 7 at 7 2. Furthermore, the guideiing 57 maybe slotted at 73 asv shown in l igure 6-which would do away with the guide and still maintain thefunction performed by said guides in preventing twist of the arms. 5-It i'sobvious that various changes and modifications may be made in practicing the 1nvention,-in departure from the particular showing of the drawing, without departing from the true spirit-of the invention;

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent; -1. A device of the character disclosed, including outer and inner molds forming between them an annular space, a rotary packer head adapted to act upon any pipe-making material poured within the outer mold to direct the same into the annular space, and

- means adapted to damp any rotationof the pipe-making material prior to the packer head actingthereon,

2. A deviceof the character disclosed, includingou'ter and inner molds forming between them an annular space, a rotary packer head adapted to act upon any pipe-making material poured within the outer mold to direct the same into the annular space, and means adapted t o damp any rotation of the pipe-making material prior to the packer head acting thereon; said means comprising an arm located above and to one side of the said packer head. y

3. A device of the character disclosed, including inner and outer molds forming therebetween an annular space, a rotary packer head adapted to act upon any pipe-making material received within the outer mold and direct the same into the said annular space, rotation of said packer head normally inducing rotation of the pipe-making material above said packer head, and means adapted to stop said rotation aforesaid. A

4. A device of the character disclosed, including inner and outer molds forming therebetween an annular space, a rotary packer head adapted to act upon any pipe-making material received within the outer mold anddirect the same into the said annular space,

rotation of said packer head normally inducing rotation of the pipe-making material above said packer head. and means adapted to stop said rotation aforesaid; said means being formed to direct said pipe-making material to the said packer head.

.for stopping any rotation induced in said pipe-forming material by rotation of said packer.

7. The method of forming pipe from concrete or like material which consists in tightly packing the material to desired form and at the same time preventing any twist of the said pipe-forming material during formation of the pipe and to thereby over come weakened Zones therein.

8. That step in the formation of molded pipe which consists in rotatably acting upon the pipe-making material to force the same into shape and at thesame time preventing any twist between the molded portion of the pipe and the pipe-making material being built thereon.

9. A device of the character disclosed, including an outer mold andan inner mold forming there-between an annular space, a

rotary packei head above the inner mold, and means for directing any pipe-making material to said packer head in static condition relative to the plane of rotation of the packer head.

10. Adevice of the character disclosed, including an outer mold and an inner mold forming therebetvveen an annular space, a

rotary packer head above the inner mold, I

means for directing any pipe-making material to said packer head in static condition relative to the plane of rotation of the packer head, and means for moving the inner mold, packer head and the first named means during formation of the said pipe.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE C. MARTIN. 

